Iowa Man Holds World Record for This Christmas Collection

A retired junior high teacher from Washington, Iowa just set a very merry record.

If you grew up celebrating Christmas like I did, then one of the iconic parts of holiday decorating included setting up a Nativity scene in your home. Over the years, my dad has slowly started to expand that Yuletide tradition by adding VERY LARGE inflatable versions of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in our front yard.

My father might just have to take a page out of Michael Zahs' book if he wants to keep up.

Get our free mobile app

Michael Zahs of Washington has been a collector for most of his life. Some of his finds have gotten him featured in the American Film Institute and a documentary entitled "Saving Brinton."

He was in possession of some of the earliest motion pictures ever made.

However, another one of his collections is getting some recognition. Zahs is now in possession of the largest collection of nativity sets in the world. These items are from all over the world and many of them are handmade, according to reports.

So, just how many Nativity sets does this man have?

According to reports, Zahs has 2,539 nativity scene sets in his collection. HOWEVER, Guinness World Record officials did not count some of the sets because they didn't meet the record requirements.

Each set had to include Mary, Joseph, Jesus, at least one angel, three wise men, shepherd, animal, star or a stable.

On the official Guiness World Records website, Zahs is listed as having 2,324 sets.

They sure are sticklers for the rules, right?

His collection was displayed to the public in December of 2022 at Hills Bank in Washington in honor of the 800th anniversary of the first nativity scene.

Stay up to date with everything going on in Eastern Iowa by downloading the free station app from your app store. Also, do not forget to follow the station across all social media platforms for the latest information about things going on in our neck of the woods.